ROM Hack [Release] PS1 Forwarder Creator

[doha057]

Sure! It might take me a bit, but I could definitely do that. Using the actual core gives way better performance than the injector.


Not to my knowledge, no.

Take your time, no rush, just share the link of the video or your channel. As for Duckstation, yeah as I presumed, different structures entirely.

 

[fusermarucs]

This does work much better thank you!!!!! Colin McRae almost full speed now rather than the disastrous slideshow the original one came up with!
One request - please could you add back in the option to hide the touch controls on the bottom screen when building the cia?

 

[CountBungus]

Is anyone else having trouble with multi-disc games? I've tried getting Final Fantasy VII and Metal Gear Solid to work, but they both crash without booting the rom. I think this version might not have php support like the last one. If anyone has a solution, or is having the same problem, please respond.

 

[cubaliu]

Thank you for all the feedback!

While some games do run much better, I have noticed that there are still a lot of strange problems with the tool. Despite what I perceived initially, performance is still a rather big issue. Which is strange, because the same settings in regular Retroarch result in full speed.

I apologize for my premature performance claims; my testing was not very thorough. I'll keep working on it for now, and update you all when the issue is fixed (or at least properly understood).

Thanks for your interesll

Thank you for all the feedback!

While some games do run much better, I have noticed that there are still a lot of strange problems with the tool. Despite what I perceived initially, performance is still a rather big issue. Which is strange, because the same settings in regular Retroarch result in full speed.

I apologize for my premature performance claims; my testing was not very thorough. I'll keep working on it for now, and update you all when the issue is fixed (or at least properly understood).

Thanks for your interest!

Great work SirFluff! I’ve tried your tool for several ps1 games which worked somehow slowly in original retroarch 3ds. It becomes magically smooth now!
Just have another request if it’s possible to do. As the current retroarch cps3 core (version 1.11.1) runs a bit slow with street fighter 3 (about 45fps), could you also be able to merge the latest Fbalpha core into a forwarder and make proper adjustments like your ps1 forwarder so that it may run full speed (imaging) with the cps3 games.
Below attached with sakitoshi’s fbalpha forwarder for your reference. Thanks so much!

 

[CountBungus]

Hey, hope I’m ok to ask. For whatever reason FF8 does not play nicely with, at least, the original version of your tool. Has the more recent versions fixed it, or am I SOL with playing FF8?

Best wishes and hope everything gets better for you 🙏

How did you get a multi disc game to boot?
I tried using FF7 and MGS but they ended up crashing on launch😔

 

[DragoniteChamp]

How did you get a multi disc game to boot?
I tried using FF7 and MGS but they ended up crashing on launch😔

I made my own PBPs using PSX2PSP, made the forwarder using BIOS scph1001, and they just kinda seemed to work??
I've done both FF7 and MGS (both using the much older version of the forwarder, not the newer version on the git) and they both work fine. It's just FF8 that gives me issues.

 

[CountBungus]

I made my own PBPs using PSX2PSP, made the forwarder using BIOS scph1001, and they just kinda seemed to work??
I've done both FF7 and MGS (both using the much older version of the forwarder, not the newer version on the git) and they both work fine. It's just FF8 that gives me issues.

Oh, okay that makes sense. I tried using the newer one. Thank you

 

[FireSide_01]

I'm trying to play Mega Man X4 on this, and it works great, but... Occasionally, it gets stuck on a loading screen, and it seems like my only option is to reset without saving my progress. This happens often enough that the game is basically unplayable. I injected it with all the default options. Any ideas to fix this?

 

[SirFluff]

Hello, everybody! Sorry for disappearing for a while.

I'm trying to make a new version of the tool from scratch. I think the reason my updated version of the forwarder was so buggy wasn't so much because the core was outdated, but Sakitoshi's modified RetroArch version used in the forwarder was. Hence the making it from scratch. I did finally manage to get the updated core files compiled myself, and I even managed to build RetroArch using said core files. But it crashes immediately on launch, so I guess I didn't do it right.

Hopefully once I get this figured out, I'll be able to create a proper version of the forwarder, with the settings menu built in (so you don't have to do it when building the CIA).

Once again, sorry for leaving you all in the dark. I'll let you all know if I manage to get anywhere with it.

 

[SirFluff]

Hello once again! I've been a bit more busy recently, so I haven't had as much time to work on this.

I have managed to compile the pcsx_rearmed core, although it seems to struggle with performance. I figured it was my fault, but it seems almost every version I can find has the same stuttering issues in the same same spots. Which is strange, because whatever the first version of pcsx_rearmed I used was, it ran everything perfectly. I'll let you know if I figure this out.

One step closer!

Edit:
Even the settings menu has completely changed - there's no more 'options' tab in the quick menu. Which is strange, because they've always been there and that's where all of the performance settings are kept.

 

[SirFluff]

Back again to announce more progress!
For whatever reason, newer versions of PCSX don't seem to run that well (as I stated previously). After a bit of digging, I've pinpointed a version from September 30th (5b406fd) that runs significantly better, and also still has all of the missing settings.
Now that that issue is settled, I should be able to get some sort of rudimentary test version up sooner or later.
I'm also on break now, so I'll have much more time to work on it. I'll let you know when I get somewhere!

 

[SirFluff]

I've done it! It took me a few days of trial and error, but I officially have a working product. There's not a GUI yet, but I have put together a bash file to automatically assemble the CIA files from CHD files. As a test, I've created working CIAs for both Crash Bandicoot and Um Jammer Lammy; both of which work flawlessly. There are some strange bugs (certain title IDs seem to cause saves to be placed in the wrong location), but overall I haven't seen any glaring issues. I don't know how long it'll take to create a GUI for it, as I'm not very experienced in that department.

Until I've made the GUI, if anybody wants the Crash Bandicoot or Um Jammer Lammy CIAs I've created, let me know!

Also, Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[SirFluff]

Quick question - would you prefer to have retroarch/core settings preconfigured and bundled with the ROM (what the original forwarder did), or would you rather have the ability to change them on the fly (through the regular settings menu)? I know that some games require a bit more tinkering when it comes to settings, and it can be kind of irritating to remake and reinstall the CIA multiple times. It would, however, make it harder to distribute (as the settings would not be packaged with the CIA).

 

[zingfor]

Thanks for picking this back up, happy to test something once it becomes available, also am happy to test Crash Bandicoot, please pm me the details and I'll try it out on my new 2DS XL... For this question maybe support both options one for debug which has settings separate and easily editable, and one for 'compiled' settings known to be working well since having these known to work well settings would be pretty helpful (at least in my humble opinion )

 

[x149te]

Would be great to have some sort of individual PS1 emulator like Snes9x or VirtuaNes. Then there's no problem with configurations.
Although, make as you like.

 

[worm28]

Whats the difference between analog and dualshock in emulator options?

 

[kaiasca]

How can i play games with multiple discs? I injected pbp file but will games want me to change discs? It only shows one disc when i try to change discs in the emulation menu.

Edit: I solved my problem. Turns out I just can change discs in the emulator menu. Sorry :/

 

[Personman]

While we wait on development from SirFluff I thought I'd try out a couple games I figured would have no issue running with the current forwarder, namely Valkyrie Profile.

I figure it was nearly an entirely 2d game so there shouldn't be anything to really tax the program. Runs fine until combat where audio is getting heavily distorted and slows the game down quite a bit. Curiously 2d assets like menus seem to really make the thing chug too for I recall Ace Combat 3 running flawlessly but the mission menus being super slow for whatever reason. It's weird like I would have thought simple 2d assets would be the last thing to give the emulator issues lol.

I've never experimented much with the actual emulator settings which I plan to do after work tonight but I was curious if anyone might have some insight into things I should focus on with any tinkering for this. I'm guessing I'll want to try different sound interpolation since Valkyrie Profile's issues seem stem from that. And maybe clock speed? I think I read somewhere some games need a precise number to function.

I also just use the default bios the comes with the forwarder since the only game I found needed a specific one was Castlevania Symphony of the Night. I believe I had one of the bios's in the opening post back when I first started and just never noticed a difference between the two. Don't know how much that may be messing with things.

I suppose I should consider facing facts and just switch to Retroarch proper sometime but what can I say, I'm way too used to having everything ready to go on the home screen lol.

 

[iibASS88ii]

Parasite Eve worked perfect except for some sound glitches on the first cutscenes or when there are to many particles effects during battle (I did my own PBP and then used the forwarder to make the .cia) but Mega Man Legens is being a pain in the ass: After loading the Capcom logo, the game gets stuck on the loading screen. Don't know if it is a bios problem (used scph1001.bin for PE and that worked fine, but for MML I used 1001 and 101 but I still get stuck). It has something to do with the fact that MML rom has two bin archives (called Mega Man Legends (track 1) and other with track 2) while PE only had one .bin? I know I can find an already working MML .cia but the banner on the top screen is the title screen and I like to leave cover art T_T

Didn't change the quality of any of the two...just went for the default settings except that I changed PE controls to dualshock.

 

[devlman127]

There a place where we can put the injects? Now that hshop doesn't allow them